Obituary of Helen E. Ryan Upton

Helen E. Ryan Upton, 78, of Halfmoon, entered into eternal life on Friday, December 20, 2019, at her residence. Born in Troy, she was the daughter of the late Edward J. and Mary Seifridsberger Ryan and the beloved wife of 50 years of James H. “Jim” Upton, Jr., until his passing on October 8, 2010. She was a graduate of Catholic Central High School. Mrs. Upton retired from St., Mary’s Hospital in Troy where she had been employed in the Human Resources Department for over 25 years. Helen loved being a grandmother and the times she spent with her family. She was a devout Catholic and was dedicated to reciting the rosary multiple times a day and was also called upon by many to add them to her prayer list. She volunteered with Marriage Encounter and was a communicant of St. Augustine’s Church in Lansingburgh and was a member of the Red Hat Society. Devoted mother of Marybeth Upton of Halfmoon and Malinda (Robert) Verrigni of Fort Johnson, loving sister of Mary Lance, Dorothy Sheldrick, Jean Bourdeau, Judy Rizzo and the late Frederick, David, Thomas and Edward J. Ryan, Sr., the late Patricia Moore and the late Catherine Malik, cherished grandmother of Justine Miranda (fiancé, Cody Briscoe) and Robert Verrigni, Jr., also survived by several nieces and nephews and their families. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Church, Lansingburgh followed by interment in St. John’s Cemetery in Lansingburgh. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the John J. Sanvidge Funeral Home, Inc., 565 Fourth Avenue (at the corner of 115th Street in Lansingburgh) Troy, NY 12182 on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please feel free to express your on-line condolences on Helen’s Tribute Wall by using the tab on this page.